Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/981272
| SUNDAY • 13 MAY 2018 maltatoday 13 NEWS JAMES DEBONO VILLA Moira, an iconic Balzan villa built in a modernist style of architecture, is being proposed for demolition to make way for 71 parking spaces. The development of the car park on 1,970sq.m of land envis- ages the felling of 54 fruit trees in the villa's surrounding gar- den. The parking is being proposed by Smart Moves Ltd which owns the supermarket located oppo- site the villa. The developers had already presented plans to demolish the existing villa in 2016 with the aim of providing a temporary street level car park during the redevelopment of the supermar- ket, for which an application is still pending. The application which was withdrawn by the applicant had been recommended for refusal by the case officer. The Environment Resources Authority had not objected de- spite the proposed uprooting of 54 fruit trees which are not pro- tected by law. The villa was described by the Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage as one "built to a design that mirrors the typi- cal architectural style that was prevalent in the late 1950s or early 1960s". But it did not ob- ject to its demolition. However, the case officer con- cluded that the application was premature and should only be considered as part of the con- struction management plan for the reconstruction of the adja- cent supermarket. The proposed redevelopment of Smart Shopping Complex foresees the phased demolition of the existing buildings and the development of five car park lev- els, a supermarket, retail and ca- tering outlets and a bakery. An environmental planning state- ment for this development had been presented in 2010. But a new application was presented in 2016 after the number of pro- posed shops was reduced. JAMES DEBONO A proposed 45m-high Ferris wheel on Floriana's Granaries risks dwarfing the parish church of St Publius, the Grade 1 na- tional monument that serves as a backdrop to the annual Isle of MTV festival. A strongly worded objection presented by the Floriana local council against the attraction said the wheel would disrupt the "overall grandeur" of the church and the landscape of the grana- ries, which are also scheduled as a Grade 1 feature. The Ferris wheel, described by its proponent as an "observatory structure" in an application to the Planning Authority, is set to include 36 capsules to each hold six persons. The proponent is Liam Man- gion, the sole owner of Extreme Events, and a shareholder in an- other popular amusement ride, Slingshot Malta, the latter with Paceville entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti. The council has objected to the loss of some 600sq.m of public space. The council said that although used as a car park, this space is often used for public gatherings such as the Isle of MTV festival, the Joseph Calleja concert and the PN's Independence Day Cele- brations. "The loss of even part of this public open space will likely jeopardise the future use of the area as a whole." The council asked for clarifi- cation on whether the structure will be erected on a permanent or temporary basis, noting that the implications would be great- er if this is erected permanently. It also expressed concern on the loss of 31 car park spaces. The Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage asked for clarifi- cation on whether the structure will be erected on a temporary or permanent basis. It called for an assessment of the ground's stability, noting that the grana- ries are likely to extend below the car park area, and asked for photomontages of long distance views to assess the visual impact on the historical skyline and for- tifications. Proponent Liam Mangion had confirmed to MaltaToday that the Lands Authority has not objected to him presenting this application on public land. Any- one applying on public land is obliged to present a form show- ing that the authority does not object "in principle" to the pro- posed development. While the base of the structure will be 30 metres long, the wheel will rise to a height of 45 metres, which is equivalent to the size of an 11-storey building. The 'Malta Eye' would be con- siderably lower than the Lon- don Eye, which rises to 135m. Liam Mangion told this news- paper his motivation for the project was his "great love" for observation wheels. "I saw the success observation wheels have throughout major cities across Europe and World Heritage sights and I've always dreamt of Malta hosting its own. I have visited many of them through- out the year, so I asked, 'Why not Malta?'" He also claimed that the wheel does not need any foundation works and can be installed in just 10 working days. When asked why this par- ticular location was chosen Mangion claims that he has been studying and getting ex- pert advice since 2008 to find a suitable location in Malta. "The proposed area ticks all the boxes for a successful and iconic at- traction, respecting the sur- roundings, residents, heritage and skyline." Mangion hopes he will be able to install his Ferris wheel this year while Valletta enjoys the status of European Capital of Culture. Floriana council says Ferris wheel will dwarf St Publius church The London Eye is a defining attraction for the UK's capital city The Floriana local council has objected to the siting of a Ferris wheel that would dwarf the iconic St Publius church Iconic Balzan villa slated for demolition for 71 parking spaces The Balzan villa's extensive gardens will be turned into a car park to cater for the needs of the supermarket opposite